0:01Skip to 0 minutes and 1 secondIn this video we have been talking about domestic violence but it’s very important to understand that the word ‘violence’ is a term that might be quite strong to be used with patients. And patients themselves may not see that the domestic violence that they are suffering is actually a form of violence; they may not recognize certain acts within the household as being violent ones. There are types of domestic violence that often go unrecognized as domestic violence and these include things such as verbal abuse or financial control.

0:40Skip to 0 minutes and 40 secondsSo, its very important to not just ask the patient if any physical harm has come towards them more or they feel afraid to go home but also to ask about other aspects of their home life. For example, is their partner trying to, does their partner take financial control over them, does their partner restrict their movements, does their partner, for example verbally say things to them which make them feel very upset or emotional or angry. So these parts of the picture of domestic violence also need to be recognized.

Asking the right questions

Spend a few minutes watching Dr Davina Kaur Patel as she talks about issues around the disclosure of domestic violence.

Reflection point

Once a patient has disclosed the occurrence of intimate partner violence, you should ask about rape and other forms of sexual violence, too.

Which wordings could be used to address this topic?

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